Monday, March 17, 2008

Taste of the Town may be the best eating event in the city. Yes, I have been to a Grand Tasting during the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, and if you disregard the obvious advantage of serving 1000 vintages at the Grand Tasting, I am telling you that the food is probably a little bit better at Taste of the Town.

Sidenote: Another excellent dining and drinking event is the Louisiana Restaurant Association's Expo in early August. Unfortunately for most of you, this event is only open to restaurateurs and food vendors. Fortunately for me, The Pope has graciously included his dear old friend when deciding whom to give his limited number of tickets to. I have been for the last 7 or 8 years, and each time I consume probably 3 pounds of smoked salmon and 2 dozen raw oysters while washing it down with whatever booze that Glazer or Republic is doling out. One infamous year, The Pope decided that we "needed" to go eat at Restaurant August after the event. This dinner resulted in 3 consecutive orders of the foiegras trio (after each time we finished the delectable appetizer, The Pope or I would exclaim to the waiter, "Uh, yeah, we are going to need another one of those") followed by The Pope's sister having to be picked up by her fiance before the entrees arrived because she was too inebriated to make it through the rest of the meal. But that is another story for another time...

Anyway, back to Taste of the Town. Just by scanning which restaurants are serving food (Arnaud's, Galatoire's, and Wolfe's in the Warehouse to name a few), you will soon realize that the $75 ticket pre-paid ticket price for the event is well worth it. The weather should be beautiful on that early April evening, and if past years are any indication, the food and drink will be phenomenal as well.